Sheriff David Harder had a news conference Saturday morning unveiling more details on an investigation into the deaths of 35-year-old Christina Powell and 24-year-old Mario Masciarelli. / CASEY STAFF / Staff Photo

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Broome County District Attorney Gerald Mollen and Broome County Undersheriff Alex Minor walk toward the Lisi Lane home Saturday afternoon. Two people were found dead inside the home on Friday. / ANTHONY BORRELLI / Staff Photos

Aaron Powell

TOWN OF BINGHAMTON — Mario G. Masciarelli received a phone call from a concerned friend Friday, hinting his 24-year-old nephew might be in trouble.

With his nephew’s mother, Mirella Masciarelli, they drove from her home in the city of Binghamton to 4185 Lisi Lane, home of his nephew’s friend, Christina Rumpel.

Mario D. Masciarelli’s white sedan was parked outside the house, but for hours, no one had been able to contact him.

“We went up to the residence and were approached by the sheriffs’ (deputies),” Mario G. Masciarelli recalled Saturday. “It was very devastating to his mother, this was her only child.”

Inside that tidily-kept, two-story cream-colored house, was a double-homicide scene. Mario D. Masciarelli was found on the second floor, fatally beaten by a blunt object, and Rumpel’s body was found in the basement, strangled, Sheriff David Harder said.

On Saturday, police were still searching for their only person of interest: Rumpel’s estranged husband, 39-year-old Aaron F. Powell, of 31 Milford St., Binghamton. Calls to update the status of the investigation were not returned late Saturday evening.

Powell is not believed to be armed and dangerous. He may be operating a black 2007 GMC Denali SUV with a license plate of GDU 3346. The vehicle doesn’t have a front license plate.

He is 6-foot-2-inches, weighs approximately 200 pounds, has brown eyes and is bald.

“We have, as I say, an army of 20 law enforcement people involved ... doing the best we can to solve this case,” Harder said. “It’s a puzzle ... and of course, the last piece at this point could be Mr. Powell.”

Powell and Rumpel, 35, were in the midst of a divorce and were separated, Harder said Saturday, but so far investigators have not identified a motive in either death.

There was no police record of any domestic disputes between the couple, Harder said.

Powell had previously been charged with criminal contempt, by violating an order of protection, Harder said. That involved a different woman and is unrelated to this investigation.

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Rumpel and Powell also have a 5-year-old son. He was not home when the deaths occurred, Harder said. He’s currently being cared for by family members.

The elder Masciarelli said the full extent of the trouble wasn’t clear until they pulled up to the Lisi Lane residence and encountered law enforcement.

A concerned friend of Rumpel’s had already summoned police after unsuccessful attempts to contact her, Harder said. Doors and windows to the home were locked, and no one was answering the door.

After forcing their way inside the home, it took police 5 minutes to find out why. It’s believed both victims had died within 24 hours of being discovered, Harder said.

The Onondaga County Medical Examiner’s Office was expected to perform an autopsy to determine the exact causes of deaths, Harder said. The results were not available late Saturday.

The elder Masciarelli described his nephew as a good-hearted person who had a strong relationship with many friends, and someone who chose to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps by opening his own construction business.

“It’s a tragedy for somebody so young for something like this to happen,” he said. “My nephew was an individual who was always looking to better himself.”

Connor Updike, 26, who lives next door to Mario D. Masciarelli, on Burr Avenue in the city, said they have been friends since eighth grade. On Saturday, Updike focused on celebrating his friend’s life.

“He’s the best kid in the world, who was caught in the wrong spot and wrong time,” he said.

Numerous attempts by this newspaper to contact family and friends of Rumpel were unsuccessful.

Midday Saturday, 24 hours after the initial police response, the crime scene was visited by Broome County District Attorney Gerald Mollen and Undersheriff Alex Minor.

Yellow tape still blocked off the Lisi Lane property and a Broome County Sheriff’s deputy maintained a presence outside.

Nestled near the end of the home’s driveway, a bouquet of flowers — yellow, orange and purple — was coupled with a photo featuring two women in a smiling embrace. One of them was Rumpel.

Mario G. Masciarelli said he is a long-time friend of Rumpel’s family.

“I don’t know Christina, but I know her family,” he said. “They’re very nice people.”

On Saturday, he joined his own family and friends at the Binghamton home of his sister-in-law. They spent the day sharing fond memories and trying to make sense of their losses.

“They’re trying to cope with it,” he said, “the whole family is very close.”